Libertarianism.org: Exploring Liberty

The Machinery of Freedom

Libertarianism.org — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 19:32:30 -0500

David D. Friedman is an economist, political philosopher, and the author of many books including The Machinery of Freedom: Guide to a Radical Capitalism, wherein he lays the groundwork for a society based exclusively on voluntary transactions. In this Exploring Liberty lecture, Friedman discusses the main premises of The Machinery of Freedom and offers a few additional conclusions he has reached in the years after the first edition of the book was published in 1973. Produced by Evan Banks.

Simple Rules for a Complex World

Libertarianism.org — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 16:11:27 -0500

In this Exploring Liberty lecture, Richard Epstein gives a quick outline of his "simple rules"-- six conditions that he says provide the groundwork for the emergence of a civilized society. Epstein is the Laurence A. Tisch Professor of Law at New York University as well as an Adjunct Scholar at the Cato Institute. He is the author of Simple Rules for a Complex World (1995) and Skepticism and Freedom: A Modern Case for Classical Liberalism (2004), among many other books. Produced by Evan Banks.

The History of Liberty, Pt. 1

Libertarianism.org — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 15:53:48 -0500

Tom G. Palmer is the author of Realizing Freedom: Libertarian Theory, History, and Practice. In this installment of the Exploring Liberty lecture series, Palmer leads a whirlwind tour through human history to document the rise of libertarian ideas, starting with the Mesopotamian epic of Gilgamesh and progressing through the history of ancient Greece and Rome, medieval Europe, the Renaissance, and the Enlightenment thinkers. In part 2 of this lecture Palmer will discuss the resurgence of the authoritarian state in the 20th century and the contemporary rekindling of the ideas of freedom. Video produced by Evan Banks.

Libertarianism and War

Libertarianism.org — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 17:50:07 -0500

In the second lecture in the “Exploring Liberty” series, Christopher A. Preble, the author of The Power Problem: How American Military Dominance Makes Us Less Safe, Less Prosperous, and Less Free, gives an introduction to how American libertarians have historically felt about wars and military intervention abroad. Video produced by Evan Banks.

An Introduction to Libertarian Thought

Libertarianism.org — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 13:00:38 -0400

In the first lecture in the "Exploring Liberty" series, David Boaz, the author of *[Libertarianism: A Primer](http://www.libertarianism.org/publications/books/libertarianism-primer)*, gives an introduction to the theory and politics of liberty. Libertarianism is the belief that each person has the right to live his life as he chooses so long as he respects the equal rights of others. Libertarians defend each person's right to life, liberty, and property. In the libertarian view, voluntary agreement is the gold standard of human relationships. If there is no good reason to forbid something (a good reason being that it violates the rights of others), it should be allowed. Force should be reserved for prohibiting or punishing those who themselves use force, such as murderers, robbers, rapists, kidnappers, and defrauders (who practice a kind of theft). Most people live their own lives by that code of ethics. Libertarians believe that that code should be applied consistently, even to the actions of governments, which should be restricted to protecting people from violations of their rights. Governments should not use their powers to censor speech, conscript the young, prohibit voluntary exchanges, steal or "redistribute" property, or interfere in the lives of individuals who are otherwise minding their own business. Video produced by Evan Banks and Caleb Brown.